A mother and her two children were abducted during a road attack in a remote area of Nyirol County, Jonglei State, on Tuesday, a local official said.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj Friday, Nyirol County Commissioner James Bol Makuey said the abductees were heading to neighboring Pigi County to flee severe water shortages in Nyabor Payam when they were attacked on a road in the remote village of Bir.
“There is a severe drinking water shortage in Nyabor because the area is dry and lacks boreholes. So, people there have been leaving to nearby places for sustenance,” he explained. “Two families that left for Pigi on Tuesday were attacked in Bir in Pulturuk Payam. One family escaped but the other one, comprising a mother with her son and daughter were unfortunately abducted.”
The local official claimed armed men suspected to have come from the Greater Pibor Administrative Area (GPAA) were involved in the attack.
“This attack was carried out by Pibor youth and we are shocked why they are doing this yet we thought we were for peace,” Commissioner Bol said. “We also take this opportunity to appeal to aid agencies to dig boreholes to solve the problem of water shortages.”
However, GPAA Information Minister Abraham Kelang, said they are unaware of the involvement of youth from Pibor in the attack.